well, I finally made it to 10,000 after 10+ years and I didn't even realize it until after I posted and happened to see it. That's why this is #10,001.
Where do I start? I thought I'd reach the 10K milestone a lot sooner but over the past 4-5 years my post per day average has slowed to a crawl because I don't spend a lot of time on here anymore. Back in the day when I was sitting at my desk at work I could post all day and spend as much time on AZ as anyone, but now I spend more time on the golf course, with my kids, and at the poker table.
Over the years on AZ I've grown up a little, having kids and making life changes will do that. I still like to party every now and then and still joke around, just not as often. Whenever I feel like getting nostalgic I'll search a lot of old posts and look at some of the stuff I used to do on a daily basis here. Those were the days man. Lunchtime threads, tons of mspaint threads, poking fun at all things pool related or otherwise. I still laugh at some of the drama from the past. Much better entertainment and much less depressing than anything you'll find on social media nowadays.
I've also been out of the pool scene for the past several years. I still follow some of the major tourneys and happenings and talk to some pool brethren every now and then, but for the most part I don't really follow it on a regular basis now. I still like to watch and bet on the mosconi cup, us open, derby, etc...but it's not the same as it used to be. I also don't shoot pool anymore unless it's at a big card game that happens to have a pool table and I get to steal from one of the rich players that doesn't know any better, lol.
Over the years here on AZ I've had the privilege to meet many of you. Rode to derby and met up with ktown (Daniel) a few times, still talk to him fairly often. Met Disco, Beav, Justin, Chad (RIP), Iba, Cleary, JoeyA, Fred, Eric, Marissa, Jay and several others I'm sure I'm leaving out as well as tons of people that I know really well on here just haven't actually met in person. Have been fortunate to know and become friends with others from the pool world that I still interact with when we cross paths. Became good friends with Brian White, Stevie Moore, Shannon Daulton, and Corey Deuel, Dave Shadden and Matt Bulfin. Playing golf and going out with all of them and countless others along the way. Also others that I've known way before AZ from the pool world that I still converse with like Steve Lomax, Stick Kytle, Brad Waddell, Papa Murphy, etc...The point being that AZ and the pool world have allowed me to meet and hang out with a lot of really cool folks over the years.
In 10,000 posts and over 10 years on here I've managed to get banned a couple of times, get into countless arguments and fights (most notably with JAM, whom I've made up with by the way, lol), also got into one with John Schmidt way back in the day but we've since made up also and get along pretty well. For the most part though, posting and conversing on AZ has always been a blast. I still enjoy the action room and talking pool or sharing stories every now and then. The group of Shane haters that can't understand variance as it relates to short race, alternate break tourneys still puts me on life tilt but oh well, lol.
In summary, I'm glad I joined AZ so many years ago and I hope I've been able to provide a little laughter, brevity, anger, or confusion to some of you at some time in any of those 10,000 posts.
